In the heart of the Grove, a singular tree lived, its roots clutching the earth with a quiet, enduring strength.
It basked under the nurturing light of the sun, cradled by the tranquil canvas of the sky.
The sun, in its golden grandeur, was a benevolent force, its rays serving as a catalyst for growth, life, and creation.
A tireless protector.
But as time moved forward, so did the sky. There was a change, as subtle as the shift of seasons, yet as undeniable as the turning of the tides.
The guardian sky, once a comforting presence, started to brood with an ominous darkness. Its vast blue replaced by an unsettling grey, its promise of peace superseded by the foreshadowing of a storm.
And then the storm came, a symphony of chaos and destruction, shattering the tranquility.
The sky became a stranger, and the once protective veil faded into a relentless adversary, its fury lashing against the tree that it had once cradled.
I couldn’t ignore it, the way the sky turned against the tree it once cradled, just as a dear friend of mine once did.
That friend, Kpavio, he was my sky. He painted serenity in my life, his presence a reassuring constant.
But then, the winds of change touched him. Like the sky, my calm protector morphed into a destructive storm.
The very sky that sheltered the tree turned against it, just as Kpavio did to me.
And what a storm he has been, a tempest lashing at my peace. His shadowy fight against me has become gales and rains assailing me, threatening to uproot everything in their path.
But just like the tree, I stood.
Weathering the storm, our spirits unbowed.
Kpavio, you were my friend. My protector. My dark knight against those who would destroy me.
But that’s not who you are anymore, is it?
Now you’re a tempest, full of sound and fury.
You rage against me, howling from the shadows, sending rains to wash everything away.
That’s how I know you never knew me.
You never saw how deep my roots run.
Those roots: my passion, my love for nature, my spirit… they stand firm, grounded and strong.
You may shake me, but I still stand tall, my head bloodied but unbowed.
Because my resilience is the resilience of nature itself, an unyielding spirit that stands defiant in the face of destruction.
Your storm hasn’t defeated me, it has revealed me.
My spirit will not yield to you.
It will endure the storm.
Thrive within the storm.
And blossom after it.
Kpavio, bring your storm. Let it rage.
I will weather it, stand tall against it, for I am the resilient tree.
I am the tranquil forest facing the storm.
I am the life that endures.
It’s why I like to take pictures, why they called us Skulltography.
With every click of my shutter, I capture resilience…
…defiance…
…life.
And through your storm, Kpavio, I stand strong.
For the storm does not define me.
I define the storm.
And Kpavio, you’re just the darkness before my dawn.